Study Away Programs

In an SOU program, the student remains enrolled at Southern Oregon University while studying at a host institution abroad. He or she pays tuition and fees at SOU as if he or she were here, but all housing, meals, and other costs will be paid in the host country. Most scholarships and financial aid will apply as usual. Generally, these programs are the most cost-effective way to study abroad. All students must be recommended by the Study Away Advisor and the individual student applications are forwarded to the host institution by the SOU Office of International Programs.

List of SOU Programs 

England

University of Winchester (Winchester, Hampshire, England)

Similar in size to SOU, this liberal arts college is located in historic Winchester, an hour by train from London. Students enjoy private rooms in U of W’s residence halls and select coursework in the social sciences and humanities. The college is on a semester system. Students have the option to study away fall semester for the cost of SOU tuition/fees and January through May (winter and spring terms) for a supernumerary rate.

France

IAE School of Management (Lille, France)

IAE is located in Lille, two hours north of Paris, and is for business majors only. Students can enroll for up to one year in the Business Administration program. Courses are taught in English. Incoming exchange students have the option to take French language courses during their stay at the university.

Germany

SOU offers two programs in Germany for business students. Students attend for one or two semesters or a full academic year studying business administration or hospitality and tourism management. Both programs offer the option of a dual degree–the Harz program for undergraduate students and HTW at the Master’s level. Students follow a specific curriculum of classes at SOU and then attend either Hochschule Harz or HTW taking one to two semesters of specific courses to qualify for the dual degree. Upon successful completion of both programs, students are awarded diplomas from both institutions. No German language is required before participating in the program but it is highly recommended.

Hochschule Harz (Wernigerode, Germany)

Hochschule Harz is located in historic Wernigerode in the Harz mountain region of former East Germany. Participants take coursework in English on a variety of business topics in either business administration or hospitality and tourism management. German language courses are taught at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. To qualify for the dual degree students must attend for a full year. The dual degree is offered at the undergraduate level only.

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) (Saarbrücken, Germany)

SOU business students take coursework in English on a variety of business topics as well as German language. Graduate students attend SOU for two terms and then take one semester at HTW and complete their Master’s Thesis. Upon successful completion of both programs the student is awarded a degree from each institution. Undergraduate students have the option to take part in a special three week summer program at HTW where they study Business Management and German Culture, earning credits toward their business degree.

Finland

SAIMAA University of Applied Sciences

The Saimaa University of Applied Sciences is an institute of higher education in Southeastern Finland in the cities of Lappeenranta and Imatra. Lappeenranta is a lively and international city by Lake Saimaa, close to Russian border and not far from the capital region. Imatra is situated close by Lappeenranta and shares a frontier with Russia. This program is currently open to students in the School of Business specializing in Business Administration or Hospitality and Management.

Japan

Okayama University (Okayama, Japan)

Students can study for one semester or an academic year in Okayama University’s EPOK exchange program, designed for U.S. students wishing to know more about Japan and Japanese culture. One year of college-level Japanese is recommended. Coursework is available in a variety of areas, including social sciences, arts and letters, business, and science, in addition to courses in Japanese language. Classes other than Japanese language are taught in English.

Shinshu University (Nagano, Japan)

Students can study for one semester or an academic year in Nagano. Exchange students are registered as Shinshu University Exchange Students (SUIC) and are able to take Japanese related courses offered by SUIC or regular courses offered by other faculties. (Students may be restricted from enrolling in some courses due to language proficiency requirements or depending on the study area.) All majors are eligible to apply.

Tokyo International University (TIU) (Kawagoe, Japan)

Students live with Japanese host families and take courses in English in the Japan Studies Program (JSP). Japanese Language is a required course.  Students have the option to study away fall or spring semesters or for a full academic year.

Ochanomizu University (Tokyo, Japan)

Ochanomizu is a small private women’s university located in Tokyo, Japan, Students need to be proficient in Japanese to attend regular semester sessions. Ochanomizu offers an international summer school in which both male and female students can participate in a Japanese language and culture program.

Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS) (Nagoya, Japan)

NUFS is a four-year private university founded in 1988. NUFS is approximately a two hour train ride from Tokyo. Exchange students are able to participate in the Japanese Language and Culture Program or the Contemporary Japan Program. Japanese language courses are performance-based language classes separated into 6 levels, spanning from absolute beginner to upper-advanced.  Class size is generally 10 students in one class maximizing teacher-to-student interaction. The Contemporary Japan Program courses are taught in English covering such topics as sociology, religion, pop culture, history, automobile manufacturing, and other subjects pivotal to understanding the Chubu region. Both programs include weekly study excursions to places of cultural note throughout Japan.

Ryutsu Kezai University (RKU) (Tokyo, Japan)

RKU is a small private university with two campus locations in Tokyo, Japan. Students need to be proficient in Japanese to attend this university. RKU is well-known in Japan for its athletic programs.

Mexico

Universidad de Guanajuato (Guanajuato, Mexico)

The University of Guanajuato is one of SOU’s oldest exchange partners. Rated as one of the finest universities in Mexico, students can study in a range of academic fields while also working intensively on their Spanish. This program requires at least two years of college-level Spanish and for students to have the ability to take regular academic courses taught in Spanish. Spanish language courses are also offered at varying levels. Students may attend for one semester or an academic year and it is open to all majors.

Escuela Bancaria y Comercio (EBC) - Mexico’s Business School (Mexico City, Mexico)
EBC offers a wide range of courses instructed by outstanding faculty. Programs and courses are taught in English at undergraduate level and in Spanish at graduate level. Students can combine courses of both languages but not the levels. Primarily for business majors and minors. Students have the option to study away during fall, spring, and summer semesters.

South Korea

Chonnam National University (Gwangju, South Korea)

Chonnam National University (CNU) is located in the most southern region of South Korea. SOU students enroll in regular courses, many of them taught in English. There are options to study away during fall and spring semester or for a full academic year. In addition, students have the option to take up to 6 credits during a four-week period of the summer.

Dankook University (Yongin, South Korea)
There are two possibilities for study at Dankook University: during fall and spring semesters and in the summer. In the summer the academic program consists of three weeks working with Dankook University students on their English followed by four weeks of elective classes taught in English (6 SOU credits). In return for the English teaching students are offered free housing as well as up to $1,000 airfare reimbursement. All majors are eligible to apply.

Yeungnam University (Gyeongsan, South Korea)
This program is offered for all majors. Courses are taught in English with the opportunity to also study Korean language and culture.. There are options to study away during fall and spring semesters.

Application Procedure

For more information regarding the application procedure, it is recommended that students schedule an appointment to meet with a study away advisor. You must meet with the Study Away Advisor in order to turn in your application. It is recommended to schedule an appointment when you are ready to apply. Students must submit their applications in person to the Office of International Programs located in the Stevenson Union to be recommended to the partner university.

SOU Affiliated Programs

Programs falling under the title Affiliated include many different models, including direct enrollment at a university abroad and education abroad facilitated by an organization or another U.S. university. Affiliated programs include academic year term/semester, and summer programs. In any type of Affiliated program, students are enrolled at SOU and therefore the course credit is recorded on your SOU transcript and financial aid can be applied to these programs. If you qualify for financial aid or receive scholarship money it is important to meet with a financial aid advisor to find out what funds you qualify for when studying away. It is possible to use federal financial aid on most Affiliated programs.

Study Away Organizations

SOU has affiliation agreements with six study away organizations, which allows our students to use federal financial aid without much difficulty:
 

Global Education Oregon (GEO) Study Abroad geo.uoregon.edu

API Study Abroad www.apistudyabroad.com/

IE3 Global http://ie3global.org

SIT Field Studies www.sit.edu/studyabroad/

USAC Study Abroad www.usac.unr.edu/

National Student Exchange www.nse.org/

The National Student Exchange, or NSE, is a network for inter-university exchange within the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  SOU students have the option to study away for up to one academic year at any of NSE’s approved partner universities.

International Internships

Southern Oregon University offers two programs that facilitate international internships, IE3 Global Internships and API Internships. Students who wish to participate in these programs should visit the Office of International Programs for guidance and information on starting an application. Students will also need to meet with their academic advisor to establish the parameters of their internship such as additional course work, credits to be awarded, grading, and course title.

IE3 global Internships (IE3)

IE3 Global Internships is a self-funded, non-profit program. IE3 provides academically accredited opportunities that develop students’ understanding of global issues and equips them with professional experience and international competence. Since the beginning of the program, over 2000 interns have participated. A team of directors manage and maintain the standards of the program and provide all support for placement, orientation, visa recommendations, and support while abroad. The program is open to all majors and upon successful completion of the program final academic credits are awarded by SOU. This program serves upper-division undergraduate and graduate level students.

API

API offers students a global internship opportunity in a variety of countries. Through careful program design, API internships encompass a number of career development and cultural resources to maximize student learning and growth.